A lot of couples in NYC count down the days until they can pack up their studio for more spacious digs, but for Raechel and Ryan Lambert, they have no plans to upsize. The couple has been living in studio apartments for the past seven years–first in San Francisco, now in Hell’s Kitchen–and they’re doing it to maximize in other areas of their lives, such as travel and saving. Rae, a product marketer for tech companies, also runs the blog Small Space, Big Taste, where she embraces her minimalist mindset and shares with readers her tips on finance, cooking, traveling, and interiors. From packing for an eight-day trip in one backpack to sharing everything one needs to know about Murphy beds, Rae’s articles are best exemplified in her and Ryan’s 400-square-foot apartment.

When Rae invited us into her home, we were welcomed into an airy, comfortable apartment that was so well organized it had space for cooking, dining, lounging, sleeping, and even playing the piano. Thanks to a less-is-more philosophy and a great collection of multi-purpose and moveable furniture, this couple’s savvy design may have you rethinking that one-bedroom listing.

With the construction of Álvaro Siza’s Hell’s Kitchen tower well underway and sales expected to launch later this month, the project website and a new batch of renderings have been released, revealing new project details and a first peek at the interiors designed by Gabellini Sheppard Associates. The rising 37-story tower at 611 West 56th Street will be the Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s first high-rise in the United States and largest project to date. Unlike most other starchitect projects in NYC, it stands out for its restraint and simplicity, hallmarks of Siza’s approach to design.

The city has named the owners of three Hell’s Kitchen buildings in a lawsuit filed this week in Manhattan Supreme Court for operating illegal short-term rentals in rent-stabilized apartments, the New York Observer reports. The city says the owners of 410 and 412 West 46th Street and 452 West 36th Street have neglected their buildings, harassed tenants to get them to move out, deregulated units and kept units vacant to rent out on a short-term basis. Tenants of one building were left without gas or a roof for six months in 2015 due to a fire; the other two are awash in building code violations.

As 6sqft previously reported, in 2017 plans to address the overcrowded Port Authority Bus Terminal–the world’s busiest–became focused on renovating the existing midtown Manhattan building rather than relocating it a block to the west. Despite constant squabbles, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the bus terminal, agreed on a timeline, and a study was undertaken to determine costs and a schedule. Options included building a terminal for intercity buses underneath the Jacob K. Javits center, which itself has undergone major renovations. Now, as Politico reports, the two-state organization is moving forward with plans to replace the overtaxed terminal, with a focus on three options as outlined in an unreleased “scoping document.”

Applications are now open for 18 fully renovated units at 520 West 43rd Street in Midtown West. Located between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, the 33-story building was built in 1998 and boasts Hudson River views and proximity to Port Authority Bus Terminal, Times Square, and Hudson Yards. Known as The Helux, the building’s name is a combination of “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Luxury.” The building comes with a pretty amenities package and no shortage of transportation options. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $2,135/month studio to a $2,760/month two-bedroom.

New renderings of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza’s first United States building was revealed this week, stirring up interest before the Hell’s Kitchen tower launches sales this fall. Currently under construction just off 11th Avenue, 611 West 56th Street will reach 37 stories and contain 80 condo units, ranging from one- to three-bedrooms, and penthouses. In addition to the fresh images of the limestone tower, developers Sumaida + Khurana and LENY also released a teaser website for the project.

Rendering of the new development at 705 10th Avenue. Image credit: CetraRuddy

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced Wednesday that it will build approximately 260 units of affordable housing on two vacant city-owned sites in the Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen section of Midtown Manhattan, one at 806 9th Avenue and another located at 705 10th Avenue. According to a press release, HPD has selected two development teams who will partner with nonprofits to bring an array of services to the surrounding community.

Our series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to architect and designer Nicky Chang’s Hell’s Kitchen apartment. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

Shanghai native Nicky Chang is nothing if not accomplished in her field, having graduated from the Yale School of Architecture and worked for firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. But when she had a chance to combine her passions of architecture, interior design, and culinary arts, she couldn’t pass up the chance. Nicky is now the head of design and strategy at Junzi Kitchen, a fast-casual Northern Chinese restaurant founded on Yale’s campus with locations in Morningside Heights, Greenwich Village, and soon at Bryant Park.

When Nicky moved from New Haven to Hell’s Kitchen, she was downsizing by three times. Luckily, as she jokes, “architects have mild OCD tendencies when it comes to organization,” so she was able to maximize her 500-square-foot walk-up without sacrificing style. Ahead, take a tour of Nicky’s calm, chic, and cozy home and hear from her about her plant collection, love of cooking, and what it’s like to work in hospitality design.

The listing describes this Hell’s Kitchen co-op as “a first time home buyers’ dream” and when you consider it’s chic, industrial-style interior and low $425,000 price tag, that sounds about right. Not only is it a true one-bedroom, but the apartment at 715 9th Avenue was also recently renovated. Being right on restaurant-lined 9th Avenue might sound like a lot, but you’re just one block away from the C and E trains at 50th Street.

On a tree-lined block in Hell’s Kitchen, this two-bedroom co-op just hit the market for a cool $825,000. The cozy 800-square-foot duplex at 455 West 43rd Street offers a loft vibe filled with beautiful details—dramatic high ceilings, wood floors, exposed brick, a spiral staircase, and a fireplace—along with all the modern amenities you need to live in true comfort.